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The Ukrainian pianist, Alena Cherny, found her own way to music. Her unique development in part has its origins in her extraordinary educational biography even this course has been relatively standard for the career of an inrernational pianist. A passionate pianist, she studied with professor Natalia Vitte at the Tchaikovsky Corservatoire in Kiev and then pursued solo studies with professor James Avery at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg im Breisgau, graduating in each case with flying colours. After that she earned a diploma for chamber music and Lied accompaniment at the State Academy of Music at Trossingen under professor Michael Uhde. These studies were accomplished with the highest distinction. In Kiev Cherny also received valuable support and inspiration from the famous piano pedagogue and pianist Boris Archimovitch. She also participated in master-classes with András Schiff and in international piano competitions - she was a finalist in the Concours Clara Haskil at Vevey in 1991.
The more unique part of Cherny’s musical development came from her early years though not through any musical family tradition. She discouvered the music in her little hometown through childhood curiosity and by her own initiative. Very influential in her wish to become a pianist were her visits to the house of Nicolai Bashchanov, the Russian biographer and music publicist who was personally acquainted with the most important musicians of the Soviet Union. Bashanov had retreated to the country side and had brought with him a record collection and more importantly his Petrof upright piano. To children in the neighborhood hungry for knowledge, he passed on to them the literature of music, and for Alena, this was her first encounter with her own talent. She had the ability to respond to this talent and to take full responsibility for it. Her mother, a teacher, and her father, a lorry driver, recognized Alena’s gift and supported her first steps to her calling.
Extensive recital tours in the USA, in England, Israel, Germany, Italy, Austria and Japan made her name known in the leading music centres of the Western world. As a professional musician, Alena Cherny is somewhat exceptional. She is a pianist who does not allow her career to be determined by the rules of the music industry. Her successful concertizing is not based on any routine formulas, she is rather guided by artistic considerations, total independence, and following her inner voice. Although today she does not deny that her first dream profession was to become an actress, she found the door to a wider world through music. An immense treasure of masterworks provide her with constant sources for further musical development. When Cherny performs, she shares with her audiences her musical discoveries. Whether performing chamber music together with musicians such as Gidon Kremer, Gerard Caussé, Maria Kliegel, Thomas Demenga, Christoph Homberger, Peter Sadlo, or when she performs the works of her favourite composer, J.S. Bach, the classics, romantics, and contemporaries, in concerts or on sound studios, in all cases she relates the ideas and passions that come out of the works of her repertoire. Her interpretations are marked by narrative freedom, a close dialogue with the audience and the unconditional striving to rediscover the work of music time after time. And in all cases she leads the listener through the written music to the composer. This is the unconditional obligation of a musician, an artist.
Today Alena Cerny lives in Switzerland. |
